The Unwholly
by Immortal Shade
Summary: "The blood provides an indirect reflection of a person's soul," Sebastian explained, licking his lips lightly, "And the soul determines if you are human. Yours is human, but there is a piece missing..." -Modern day continuation-
1. Red Tide

**Chapter 1 - Red Tide**

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"Hey, thanks for taking Gillian's shift today, Leah. Take tomorrow off if you want."

"Yeah, no problem, Nick," Leah responded while slipping into a light spring jacket. "And you know I wouldn't have come in tomorrow regardless."

The bar manager smirked, chucking the cloth he was using to wipe the counter at her leaving figure. "Man I love it when my employees behave like employees."

Leah easily caught the rag and flung it back at him along with her own sarcastic retort, "Hmm, maybe you should start behaving like a real employer then."

"Sure thing! I'll have shackles and a strict uniform waiting for you next time."

"Sounds hot."

"That's the way I like it, babe."

Laughing, Leah opened the restaurant door, turning back for a final goodbye. "Alright, Nick, see ya on Wednesday."

"Night Leah," he waved with a grin.

Stepping out into the night, Leah was met with a sudden gust of cool breeze. It wasn't dreadfully cold, but just cool enough to penetrate the fabric of her jacket and graze her skin. Folding her arms, she proceeded down the dim street toward the direction of her apartment. The sidewalks were empty, expected for this hour of the night, and the headlights of cars could only be noticed once every minute or so a few blocks ahead at the main intersection.

In any other city, trekking alone on a deserted street at 3 a.m. would never be attempted by a young woman. But this town was different; crime rates were practically non-existent, and there has never been a record of aggressive assault anywhere on anyone. One could literally label Falls Hill as the safest city to live in.

Until today.

Leah wasn't sure when she began to notice a shadowy figure treading on the other side of the street from the corner of her eye. The person's gait was casual and unsuspicious. At first, she did not pay too much heed to it, dismissing the person as just another late-night employee returning home. It was not until the figure swiftly slipped into the shadow between two buildings as she turned to blatantly glance in his/her direction that she realized something was strange. The stirring unrest caused her pace to quicken into a slight jog.

'Just two more blocks,' Leah repeated in her mind. This was the first time since her accident that she felt unsafe.

Upon rounding the final corner before entering her street, she definitely knew she wasn't alone. A set of rough arms pulled her into a vice grip against a bulky body, and a ring clad fist connected with her face. She was mildly aware of a sickening ripping sound across her cheek as metal tore through flesh and beckoned a spray of blood from the now-gaping wound. Luckily, the injury was not enough to force her into unconsciousness, and to the attackers' displeasure, Leah was not as soft-shelled as she appeared.

"Let go of me!" She screamed, struggling furiously in her captor's arms. "LET GO!"

"Shut the hell up!" The man holding her clapped a hand over her mouth only to snatch it away with bloody teeth marks in it.

"You bitch!" he screamed, "You bit me!"

Leah took this chance to thrust her head back into his face in an attempt to shatter his nose. A 'crunch' followed by a loud howl confirmed her success, and the arms immediately released from around her to embrace his face. With her captor now shaken, she broke free and sprinted off back in the direction of the restaurant, allthewhile screaming bloody murder.

"I can't believe she bit me! My hand's bleeding! She BIT me!" She could hear the heavy cursing and threats from behind her as she ran without inhibition. Luckily, the first man seemed to still be in shock with disbelief at her aggression and was currently incapacitated.

"You idiot! You can't even hold a girl down!"

"BUT SHE BIT ME!"

"Shit! Come back here, you bitch!"

Heavy footsteps thundered behind her, and judging by the sound patterns the chaser was clearly a faster runner than she was.

Leah snuck a glance over her shoulder only to see the man who punched her easily closing the distance between them. A silver glint in his hand caught her eye, reminding her of his ring. It appeared as if he was preparing to throw it.

Paying little attention, she returned to looking forward, eager for any signs of people. Barely a step later, a sudden intense pain shot through her lower back. Her steps forcibly faltered and she fought to breathe normally, choking back while an eruption of blood spurted from her lips. Her gaze slowly lowered to find the crimson-stained tip of a knife protruding from her stomach. The shock from the impact prevented her from fully registering the extent of the situation, and for a moment she contemplated reaching behind to pull out the blade.

Before she could do so herself, she felt the knife slide out roughly. This was met with a renewed wave of pain that finally brought back her senses. Her pained facial expression only conveyed a fraction of what she felt as jolts of burning pain swelled from the wound's epicentre. What should have been a blood-curdling scream was replaced by guttural noises from a throat clouded with blood and vomit.

Some time during all this, she had fallen to her knees then forward face-first onto the pavement. 'I'm dying...' she thought, unwilling to believe it. A crimson pool began to grow around her, covering the pavement with the warmth of her existence. She never thought it would end like this.

Heavy breathing in the background reminded her that her attacker was still there. He turned her body over onto her back then proceeded to kneel over her, his legs straddling her waist.

"Alright, I'll make this quick," he said gruffly, bringing the knife over her once more. "Just need your beating heart..."

'My... beating heart?..." The comprehension slowly came, and fear gripped her eyes as she realized what he intended to do.

"Please, stop..." Leah tried to call out but only managed to bear a pitiful whimpered. She tried to meet his eyes and search for any remaining signs of conscience and humanity, but all she found was fire and indulgence.

Her aggressor merely laughed at her futile attempts at communicating. He raised the knife in both hands high above her chest –a flash of silver in the darkness...

It was at this moment that her head rolled to one side and unconsciousness threatened to take over. So this was it...

She waited for the final strike; the crash of the tide that will drown away all her pain and senses. She waited... and waited...

Nothing.

"Maybe I'm already dead," her voice was barely a whisper in the breeze.

"I'm afraid not, miss."

The low, mellow voice of a man significantly different from that of her attackers prompted the opening of her clouded eyes. They were met with the blurry image of a man with sharp, well-sculpted facial features. And his eyes... did she detect a tint of red? Or maybe she has blood in her eyelashes...

Unable to do anything under these new circumstances, Leah stared back at this strange new man. He wore the faintest of smiles, almost as if he found this entire situation rather interesting or amusing.

"Now, let's see to healing you," rang his melodious voice.

Before she could say anything, he had gently scooped her up into a sitting position against him. This ushered a set of audible winces and groans from her, which he quietly shushed.

"It'll be alright, miss," he reassured, "just drink up and you will be fine."

Her confusion of what he meant by 'drinking up' grew when he pressed his slit wrist to her lips. At first, she thought he was trying to suffocate her, but when he instructed her once again to drink, she understood his intent.

And boy was she freaked. Apparently a psychotic self-proclaimed vampire was taking advantage of her vulnerability to make her drink his blood. The grotesque thought mixed with her initial pain and discomfort brought another wave of blood to pour from her mouth.

"No. The other way. In, not out," he repeated, pressing his wrist more firmly against her lips. She began to hear the annoyance and urgency in his voice.

Try as she might to resist, a bit of his blood was bound to enter her mouth. Upon first taste of the blood, a dull foreign ache emerged from within her belly, and she was suddenly hit with a boisterous craving for more. Forgetting about her pain, Leah grabbed onto the man's wrist and held it tightly against her mouth, sucking away at his life force with renewed spirit.

"That's it..." he said, pleased at her obedience.

As she continued to drank, her body felt increasingly light. The burning pain in her abdomen still existed, but grew fainter with each heartbeat. A strange warmth seemed to envelop her, beckoning her back into unconsciousness. The last thing she remembered seeing before finally drifting into darkness was the satisfied smile of that red-eyed man.


	2. Friend or Foe

**Chapter ****2 – Friend or Foe**

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_Falling. She was falling headfirst through a veil of light that seemed to stretch forever –a light that sheathed her form and threatened to devour her completely into an infinite vacuum. She had encountered this light before. It had been tame then, not the chaotic animal it was now._

_Her screams could not compete with the deafening light. Like thunder, they pounded her ears with celestial decibels._

_And then there was fire –invisible flames that burned like those in the pits of hell, engulfing her body, reaching into her sanity and tearing her mind into ambiguous fragments. She was burning, both on the inside and out. Not a single layer neglected by the torturous sensation that drove away her consciousness. Like fingers, they grabbed at her, licking, scratching, and eating away her essence._

_Eventually she felt 'it'. Starting off small, the grip grew until it felt as if her body was being pulled from every possible direction. Something swelled up from within her chest, pushing outward against her bodily cage as if craving for release. The swelling expanded, forcing her body to arch fiercely as what resembled sparks emanated from her body._

_In a sudden burst of blinding light, she was destroyed. There was no pain afterward, just a single crash that ushered in dark skies._

_She felt empty. A hollow container._

Leah woke with a start. Her eyelids fluttered briefly before her vision cleared. The dream was not unfamiliar for it frequently revisited her at night with the same details; however, this time the senses were more vivid, the images more focused. She often wondered what the dream symbolized, if it symbolized anything at all. Nick once told her that dreams may present a subconscious emotion altered by the memory, but whether this was true in her case was not clear. For now, the only connection she could make with the dream was her accident two years ago when she got hit by a truck. She had suffered extensive brain injury and lost most of her memories. Even then, the sensation of falling did not seem to fit the picture…

With a soft groan Leah pushed herself up out of bed, but not before a rush of nausea hit her which prompted her to lie back down again. She then noticed the splitting headache she had, not to mention the soreness in her lower torso. What was wrong with her today?

"Ughhhhh!" she cried out, unaware that she wasn't alone.

"Good morning miss," a deep voice spoke, "I see you are finally awake."

"What the..?" The voice startled the girl out of bed immediately. In the process, her hands grabbed for the closest thing she could find to use as a weapon, in this case a rather harmless glasses case. Not realizing how ridiculous she looked wielding a glasses case, she planted herself in a defensive stance, ready to attack at any moment.

"Who the hell are you? And what are you doing in my apartment?" Her eyes locked onto the stranger, who stood calmly at the foot of her bed. He looked somewhat familiar, however she couldn't quite place where she had seen him before.

The man watched her with an amused expression. "Now now, do you honestly think that's a reliable weapon?"

Somehow, the current rush of adrenalin had washed over her previous discomfort, and she managed to stature herself stably given her current condition.

"Don't turn the questions around!" shrieked Leah, still clutching the case. "Answer me, or I swear I'll scream. How did you get in here?"

His grin widened, almost to a sadistic fashion. "How do you intend to scream when you can't make a sound?"

In the blink of an eye, the man disappeared behind her and seized her frame against his in a suffocating grip. A cold hand clapped over her mouth, forcing her jaw closed this time so she could not bite him. Her screams came out as feeble muffles against his hand. Picking her up in this same position, he strode over to her dresser mirror so that they could look at each other from the reflective surface.

"Alright, now that you can't scream, let me say a few things."

Amber eyes met her blue ones, searching for acknowledgement. After he felt her body sigh in resignation, he continued.

"First off, I will be a gentleman and answer your questions. I am in your home because you were in no shape to return by yourself, and I was kind enough to bring you back safely. Oh, and I used your key to come in. That is the standard mode of entry through a locked door, is it not?"

He watched her expression go from confusion to annoyance while he spoke.

"And secondly, don't you recognize me from last night?" he smirked.

The glasses case she still clutched dropped to the floor with a clunk…

Leah's eyes widened as she stared into the mirror at him. She saw his eyes –red, almost radiant, and immediately identified him as the man who 'rescued' her from the other two assailants. The recognition was soon followed by the rest of the previous night's memories, which her mind had thus far chosen to suppress –the shadowy figure, the stabbing, the blood-drinking… The events all returned to her in an overwhelming wave of shock, and all she could do now was to continue staring horror-stricken at their reflections. Realizing her distressed state, the man released his grip on her but continued to stand close.

"You should be dead right now," he noted.

"I should be dead…"

"But you aren't."

"Why not?" Her voice was still meek, a symptom of her shock.

"Because you drank my blood," he explained. "It was able to heal you in time."

His explanation was followed by a brief silence.

"Are you a… a- vampire?" She didn't realize just how stupid her question sounded until she asked it.

The man's lips twitched as he stifled a laugh.

"No, I'm actually a demon."

"I beg your pardon?" she hardly expected such an answer.

"A demon. A servant of Hell. Spawn of Satan. Call it what you will."

"Right." Leah still believed the man was not completely right in the head, but decided to keep such comments to herself. For one, he _did_ somehow miraculously heal her fatal wounds in one night, by blood or other means. And as much as she hated to accept, she was presently in his debt.

"Alright, let's say you truly are a… demon," she hesitated to repeat the word, "why on earth would you help me?"

"The better question is, why were those men trying to kill you?" he looked down at Leah, who turned around to return his gaze.

Leah opened her mouth to say something but reclosed them upon realizing she had no answer to that last question. An uncomfortable silence unfolded between the two, leaving her feeling slightly vulnerable under his steady gaze. She felt like a rare lab specimen being studied.

Eventually the silence broke.

"Go clean yourself up. We will talk afterward."

"Excuse me?" The young woman practically glared daggers at him. She wondered who he thought he was, ordering her around like a child like this.

Without softening his tone, he stated bluntly, "You need a shower." Eyes sweeping down her body, he added, "And a change of clothes."

For the first time since getting up, Leah realized that she was still wearing the clothes from last night. She glanced down and saw an absolute wreck. Her shirt and the top of her pants were splattered with dried blood, and there was a large open tear in the material over her stomach where she was stabbed from behind.

While her face reddened in embarrassment at her atrocious appearance, the demon had crept toward the door.

"In the meantime, I'll prepare some tea," he said, his voice disappearing along with him as he exited her bedroom toward the rest of her living quarter.

After he left, Leah hurriedly grabbed a change of clothes from her drawers and raced into the adjacent bathroom, locking the door behind her. In an instant, her bloodied clothes were shed into a ragged pile by the corner. The reflection that greeted her in the mirror was truly frightening: her hair was tousled and wild, barely being restrained by the hair band; a noticeable bruise marked her cheek where she had been punched; and her abdomen was splashed with bloody crusts. She resembled something out of a horror movie.

"My God…" she whispered, staring at herself, both shocked and sickened. She still could not believe all the events that had unfolded in the past twelve hours. It was an experience that the average girl would never have thought of; yet there she was, mentally and physically traumatized. The man was right, she definitely needed a nice long shower.

She slowly climbed into the tub and turned on the faucet. The moment the hot water hit her naked skin, she felt the tension in her body begin to diminish. She hadn't even realized just how tense she was up to this point.

For a good twenty minutes, she stood under the water scrubbing the remaining blood off her body, then shampooing and conditioning her hair. After finally being satisfied with her cleanliness, she stepped out and re-examined herself in the mirror. Her appearance had improved a vast amount. Most importantly, there was no more blood. Secondly, she noticed that below the dirt and grime, the wound across her cheek and stomach were actually less evident than initially perceived.

Sighing contently, Leah dried herself quickly and put on the t-shirt and jeans. She picked up last night's clothes and proceeded back to her bedroom where she threw them into a large bag along with her bloody sheets and tied it up, intending to dispose of it later.

A sweet aroma from outside reminded Leah that she still had a guest in her home. Suddenly, she felt odd confronting him again. She had a feeling that he knew more about what was going on, and she wasn't sure if she wanted him to relay this information to her.

Taking a deep breath, she strode timidly into the living room where a bizarre sight greeted her. The man, whose back was facing her, was wearing her pink piggy-patterned apron and pouring syrup over a generous stack of pancakes at the dining table. She didn't realize she had been staring until he turned around and addressed her presence.

"You look a lot better," he appraised, then gestured toward the food. "I thought you could use some nourishment after what happened last night."

"Oh," she acknowledged, "thank you for your consideration."

Leah walked awkwardly to the seat and sat down. She watched as the man removed the apron and sat opposite to her, waiting expectantly for something. Leah shifted nervously in her seat, peering up at him. Apart from his red eyes, nothing else about him was too far-fetched. He had straight black hair that was styled in a short trendy cut, and his skin was pale and unblemished. She had to admit, he was attractive, not in the handsome boyish manner, but rather in the dark predatorial sense.

The silence ensued until she was suddenly aware that she still did not know his name.

"I'm sorry. I don't think we have been properly introduced yet. I'm Leah."

"Pleased to meet you, Leah. My name is Sebastian Michaelis."

He offered a hand out over the table which Leah politely shook. She noticed that his nails were black, and there was an intricate circular design on the back of the hand that looked like a pentagram.

'Maybe he's part of a cult or something,' she thought.

He must have noticed her looking at the design for he grinned slightly, but did not pursue the subject. After all, his contractual work was not important right now. _She _was the primary focus.

"Well Sebastian," she said, "I'd like to thank you for saving me last night, however you did it. I know I was a bit… resistant earlier, but I really am grateful for your help."

The smile that met her was chilling. Regardless of whether he was trying to be congenial or not, it still made him look really creepy.

"It really was no problem," he responded. "It was in my best interest anyway since I needed you alive."

"What do you mean?"

"I hold a certain… interest in you."

Leah's heartbeat began to quicken. This man, no, this _demon_, who she has never seen in her life finds her interesting? She silently prayed that he wasn't one of those estranged serial killers who befriended their victims before torturing them later.

"Please don't get any wrong ideas," added Sebastian quickly. "I will explain more while you eat."

Noticing that he had not prepared any for himself, she asked, "Aren't you going to eat too?"

"No, I'm fine," he responded without elaboration.

"Alright then." Leah turned her attention to the waffles in front of her. A small cup of aromatic tea accompanied them, which she sniffed cautiously. After his statement about finding her interesting, she wouldn't be surprised if he slipped something in her drink.

He seemed to notice her hesitation and offered a teasing grin. "Don't worry, I didn't tamper with the food. If I wanted you unconscious, I would have easily managed that already."

"That's not very comforting to hear either," she said muttered, taking a few sips of the hot beverage before starting on the waffles.

"Hmm?"

Leah swallowed before explaining, "I guess…" she bit her lip lightly, trying to find the words, "I suppose what I mean is that I'm just kind of intimidated by you right now."

"Oh? Is that so?" Sebastian grinned amusedly. "Do continue."

"Don't play dumb with me."

"Whatever do you mean?"

Leah rubbed her temples. Talking to this guy was like discussing the meaning of life with a philosopher. You never got any tangible answers, just more vague questions that sent you in circles again.

"How do I put it?..." she began, now full on glaring him. "I'm what you would call a small town girl. Haven't seen much of the world; enclosed in my comfort zone all the time…" Her voice level began to rise. "…And then you and those thugs come along. I almost _die_. Then you perform some sick, twisted mojo to revive me. Inform me you're a demon. And now you tell me you can knock me out easily…" She was practically yelling at him now. "…So YES, I think I'm allowed to be traumatized and slightly intimidated by you right now!"

She hadn't planned on ranting like that, but somehow once the words started, they just couldn't stop. Sebastian, on the other hand, seemed to finally take her emotions seriously.

"You're right," he admitted quietly, "It is perfectly appropriate for you to be shocked right now; you are handling the situation better than I thought you would actually. But still, I apologize for not being more sensitive to your concerns."

He watched her stab another waffle chunk into her mouth before continuing, "I suppose I was merely curious as to how I intimidated you. If we are to work together on investigating this attack, I want to know that you will feel comfortable around me."

"I see…" Leah nodded slowly, trying to determine whether he had some ulterior motive. "And what makes you want to investigate this? I'm alive, and the culprits have escaped, and I doubt they would come back for a second attack after I report them to the cops."

"Actually, those two men are dead," he pointed out bluntly. Noticing her stunned look, he explained matter-of-factly, "I killed them before I came to you. And don't worry, I disposed of their bodies properly."

Leah blanched. This man seated across from her was a self-admitted murderer. A chill ran down her spine as she suddenly began to truly fear for her safety.

"To be honest, I should be the least of your worries right now." He continued, unaffected by her reaction. "I'm afraid these attacks are not the last we'll see."

"You mean," she gulped, "they'll come after me again?"

"Yes, and with greater intent I imagine, now that they know I'm here."

Noticing that she grew increasingly quiet while he was talking, Sebastian tried to dispel her momentary unease.

"We have time to discuss this later. In the meantime, do eat," he slipped in a teasing smile, "I would prefer you not to faint on me again."

"Right…" Leah eventually managed to detach her thoughts from the depressing news and continued with the waffles.

Sebastian stared at her while she ate, examining her features. Her long hair, though still wet, was clearly extremely blonde, almost glowing. Her skin too was pale, free of freckles, and seemed to radiate an eerie luminescence. What drew him in the most, however, were her eyes. Hidden under long lashes, her irises were enchantingly blue. Gazing into them, he felt as if his very conscience was beckoned by some unknown force. It was a supernatural sensation, and yet he could not detect a trace of mystical essence in her soul.

Overall, her frame and features projected the image of a fragile young woman –ordinary and unremarkable. This only perplexed him further as to why she had been victimized. What made her so special?

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**A/N:**

**Hi all, hope you're enjoying the story so far. For those who are still confused about the setting, it is set in modern day (year 2012), over a century after Ciel becomes a demon. And don't worry, Ciel lovers, many of the original -immortal- characters will be appearing as the story unfolds.**

**As for Leah, I planned out a pretty intense history for her, which will be revealed bit by bit. **

**Anyway, question for the readers: What was your favourite mental image of this chapter? (Personally, I enjoyed Sebastian in the pink piggy apron xD)**


	3. Pleasantries

**Chapter 3 – ****Pleasantries**

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"So what you're saying is that I'm not completely human, and those men knew so they wanted to kill me." Leah slowly drew out each phrase, trying to summarize what Sebastian had been explaining to her for the past few minutes.

"Almost," the demon corrected, "but I don't think those men personally cared. I reckon that they were impelled by a greater power."

"Like... a demon?" Leah shot him a curious glance.

"Perhaps, but there are other forces at work than just my people."

Leah gulped. "Like what?"

"Angels, grim reapers, spell casters..." he counted them off his fingers. "Those are the only ones I have encountered."

The young woman sunk back into the couch, heaving a large sigh which caught Sebastian's attention.

"What's wrong?" he asked, remembering to be more sensitive after being called out earlier.

"It feels like my world has just been turned upside down," she replied, staring forward at nothing in particular. "Everything that you've told me, it doesn't make sense! Demons and angels aren't supposed to be real!"

"I'm slightly offended by that."

"Sorry," she apologized, offering him a weak smile, "but it's hard to absorb all this in. I mean, if you supernatural beings exist, why have we never heard of you before? There's bound to be some kind of supernatural event that made it to all the top headlines."

"We take precautions to be discreet," explained Sebastian. "And you probably have never seen us because your city is quite... dull, to be frank. We are attracted to chaos, and this is hardly such a place."

"Until now apparently..."

"Yes," he agreed, "until now..." He studied her face briefly as she stared off into space. Her expression was difficult to read: somewhere between frustration, acceptance, and determination. All morning long, he had been waiting for her to break –to explode into a hysterical fit, scream at him, scream at the world, and cry herself numbingly to sleep. However, despite her earlier bout, she had been surprisingly compliant and thoughtful about the entire situation. He was rather impressed with this mortal's ability to cope.

"So now what?"

Her question snapped him out of his thoughts. He found himself met with a pair of hard-set eyes, resolute and eager for instruction.

"Well, first we need to figure out if you are truly human."

"Shouldn't that be obvious?" She arched a brow.

"Not quite." Sebastian stood up from his seat and walked over to where she was sitting. To her surprise, he kneeled down to one knee in front of her and gingerly took hold of one of her hands.

Leah sat up with a start, reflexively jerking her hand out of his clasp. "Excuse me, what do you think you're doing?" She eyed him suspiciously, following his every movement in case he tried something funny again.

"I am determining whether or not you are human," he replied innocently.

"And why exactly do you need my hand for that?"

"I need to taste your blood. And I assumed the hand is the most proper place to do so. Unless..." he flashed her a mischievous grin, "...you have another place in mind."

"What?" Leah shrank away from him, shaking her head manically. "Ew! No!"

"Then will you please lend me your hand for a second?" he asked gentler, offering his hand toward her. "The sooner we find out, the sooner we know why you were attacked."

Leah stared at his hand, still uncertain of whether to trust him. After awhile, she extended her hand out reluctantly and asked, "Will it hurt?"

Sebastian was silent for a moment, then began to chuckle. "You were bleeding buckets last night without a complaint, and now you are apprehensive about a tiny puncture?"

The demon's laughter ceased when he saw the fear evident in her eyes. Immediately, he realized that this wasn't about the pain, but about her being able to trust him. His face softened slightly as he tried to comfort her.

"Don't worry, it will only be a prick."

He took her hand gently and raised it to his lips, searching her face for approval. When she turned to look away, he quickly pierced her index fingertip with his teeth. He barely heard her gasp as the taste of her blood met his tongue. All his senses were directly toward that metallic flow, searching for a clue...

After a few more seconds, Sebastian removed his lips, took a tissue from a box on the coffee table and wrapped it around her finger.

"Well?" Leah inquired eagerly, drawing back her hand and leaning forward to hear what he had to say.

"You're human..." he stated, meeting her gaze.

"I sense a 'but'."

"...but you are incomplete."

A moment of silence ensued as both tried to comprehend the news.

"What do you mean?"

"The blood is an indirect gateway to understanding a person's soul." Sebastian waited for her acknowledgement.

"Yes, go on?"

"And the soul determines if one is human or not," he continued. "Yours was human, but it seems to be missing a piece."

"My soul is... missing a piece?" She didn't know whether to be confused or completely mortified.

"Yes. There is a void in your soul, however what's left is completely human."

"I see... so, I _am_ human."

"For the time being. If you are to reclaim the missing soul fragment, however, you may be more than just human."

"Wait, hold on a sec," Leah waved her hands between them, "how come I am not aware of any of this? Wouldn't I know if I lost a piece of my soul, or if I'm... er... not human?" The insane prospect that she was not human was mind-blowing and almost incomprehensible at this point.

The demon scratched his chin thoughtfully, "I don't think so. My hypothesis would be that you would lose the memories associated with that soul fragment."

The mention of memories caused her to freeze. 'It had to be a coincidence,' she thought, her mind racing frantically at the possibilities.

Sebastian took notice of her unease and was quick to react. "Leah? What's wrong?"

"I... I-" she slowly met his gaze. "Let's just say my memory isn't my strongest point..."

At this, the demon's eyes narrowed slightly; a flash of red glazed over them. "Please explain."

Leah was about to disclose what the doctors told her a year ago regarding her memory loss, but a knock at her front door proceeded to interrupt their conversation.

"We will continue this after," stated Sebastian. He appeared rather annoyed at the unplanned intrusion but sat back in his seat nonetheless to wait patiently while Leah went to deal with the visitor.

The woman opened the door to reveal a brown-haired man who appeared to be in his twenties. A pair of thick-brimmed brand name glasses was fitted over joyful eyes.

"Jamie!" Leah took a step back, surprised to see her co-worker at her doorstep. "What are you doing here?"

Smiling broadly, he greeted her cheerfully, "Hey Leah! What, can't someone visit a friend on his day off?"

"Oh no, I didn't mean it that way," she replied, "I just wasn't expecting you. Normally you'd call."

"Well, I thought I'd surprise you this time!"

"Mission accomplished then!" she laughed. It was impossible to not smile around Jamie. His enthusiasm and charm was infectious.

"So..." Jamie glanced at her expectantly, "You going to let me in?"

"Oh!" Leah hesitated for a moment, pondering whether it would be a good idea to let Jamie meet Sebastian. "Um... I was actually thin-"

"Now Leah, that's not the way to greet a friend." A smooth low voice sounded near her ear, and she suddenly became aware of her _special guest_ suddenly standing right behind her. "Let the poor guy in."

"Ah," Jamie was momentarily surprised by the other masculine presence. As Sebastian stepped into view, Leah couldn't help but notice her friend sizing him up with a quick vertical sweep. The demon, she guessed, was doing the same to Jamie.

"I didn't know you had company, Leah," Jamie said after a pause. "We can hang out some other time."

Before Leah could open her mouth to speak, Sebastian had already begun. "No, please come right in. I'd love to meet some of Leah's friends."

"Alright," Jamie smiled hesitantly, "if you say so." He then turned toward Leah, "You alright with this?"

"Yeah, of course," she motioned for him to enter then proceeded to close the door while the two men introduced themselves to each other and went to sit down.

"You'll have to excuse her manners," Sebastian explained to Jamie, clearly enjoying the evil looks he was receiving from Leah. "We had a rough night last night, and the effects are still wearing off for her."

Leah practically choked on her own saliva upon hearing his rather witty explanation. She couldn't believe it. They had not even known each other for one day and he was already injecting innuendos about her into casual discourse. Were all demons as distorted and lewd as he was? _Who did he think he was? Teasing her in front of her friends like that... He had no right!_

Jamie didn't seem to know how to take Sebastian's explanation and merely offered a general statement. "Oh... well I hope everything gets better..."

Either he was oblivious to the demon's insinuation, or he chose to ignore it out of consideration for Leah. She, on the other hand, had half a mind to grab a pan from the kitchen and smack Sebastian over the head with it. The other option that was just as appealing was to simply completely disappear from the room.

Instead of doing any of the above, Leah decided to stick to being a reasonable individual.

"What he _means_," she clarified, "is that work really took it out of me yesterday. Just recovering from the tiredness today I suppose."

She took a seat next to Jamie, who kindly shifted over on the couch to give her more room. The two of them faced Sebastian, and she took this opportunity to continue shooting visual daggers at him. The demon in turn, just sat there grinning cheekily at the two humans opposite him. Luckily, Jamie did not notice the non-verbal communication that was occurring around him and continued to lead the conversation.

"So Sebastian, you're Leah's friend?" Jamie asked the demon.

Before the demon could offer a smart-ass reply, Leah quickly butted in, "I'd consider him more as an acquaintance. I haven't known him for too long."

Sebastian cocked his head slightly to the side, deciding to play along with her story but also injecting his own details just for kicks. "Now Leah, don't be shy. I'd say we're more than just acquaintances." _And for the punch line..._ "I mean, if we weren't friends, you wouldn't be letting me stay at your place, would you?"

Where were the forks and knives when she needed them most?

"If you need a place to crash, I have space in my apartment," Jamie offered. "My roommate is gone for a few months."

"Thank you for your kind consideration," Sebastian smiled, "but I won't be here long. Leah has been quite hospitable, and plus we have quite of bit of catching up to do. Don't we, Leah?"

"Too much," she agreed, feigning congeniality.

And so the afternoon continued on with the three adults discussing light topics. The tension that initially smothered the room gradually dissipated over time, leaving a more relaxed –yet still cautious atmosphere.

"Ah, look at the time!" Jamie glanced up from his watch, surprised at how long they had been talking.

"Don't you have work at six?" asked Leah, recalling his work schedule.

"Yeah, I better get going before Nick decides to cut my pay again," he stood up, grinning. Turning to Sebastian, he reached out his hand, "Well, it was nice meeting you, Sebastian."

"Likewise." The demon shook Jamie's outstretched hand firmly, smiling slightly when he noticed the other man's eyes flit over his black nails before meeting his eyes again.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," she said as she led Jamie to the door, Sebastian following behind.

"You're not working today?" he asked, confused.

"Nah, I took Gill's shift last night so Nick let me take today off," she explained.

"Oh, then yea, see ya tomorrow."

To Leah's surprise, he gave her a gentle hug, something he normally didn't do. Well, not unless they were out drunk with a group of friends or something. Nevertheless, she returned the gesture then watched him leave.

"What was that all about?" Sebastian cocked a brow at her amusedly.

"What do you mean?"

He opened his mouth as if to say something but then closed it again. "Never mind," he grinned, quickly changing the subject before she could object. "So what are you having for dinner?"

The abrupt question surprised her. She furrowed her brow in frustration, "Shouldn't we be continuing our earlier discussion?"

"You mean about your memory?" He was striding to the refrigerator already. Not waiting for her acknowledgement, he continued, "Don't worry, I have something planned for you already. It should help decipher a large piece of the puzzle..."

His voice drifted off before becoming silent. Leah followed him into the kitchen, expecting him to finish his thoughts. Her expression became one of annoyance when he gave no inclination of pursuing further explanation.

"Would you care to elaborate?" She leaned against the counter, arms folded over her chest as her piercing eyes drilled the demon.

Sebastian looked up from the vegetables he was currently chopping to meet her gaze. "I'm taking you to meet someone who is incredibly perceptive. He should be able to tell us more about you."

"Who is this person? And what makes you think he'll have all the answers. You're a supernatural being, aren't you?" she mocked, "and yet you couldn't seem to figure out much."

The demon sighed. He understood why she was so speculative; however he was unimpressed by her tone and attitude, and certainly did not enjoy being the target of her mockery. She was but a mere human, at least for the moment. A disposable creature. He could snap her in two if he so chose to and it wouldn't mean a thing to him, though taking the current events into consideration, it may redirect the outcome. He reminded himself to be patient; to tolerate her mannerisms.

"You're right, my abilities are limited," he admitted, resuming his chopping. "However, I assure you that the person I am taking you to see is knowledgeable on all historical supernatural accounts. His wisdom far outshines mine, although..." he paused, turning to shoot her a laugh.

"What?" she probed.

"...I'm afraid his sanity is questionable."

"Oh great." That wasn't exactly what Leah wanted to hear: that she was going to be meeting a wise-ass lunatic.

"Don't worry though," said Sebastian, "his mental state won't deter him from offering us the information we need."

Leah didn't bother responding to the demon's reassurance. Instead, she had fallen silent, trying to digest everything. As she watched Sebastian continue his culinary work, her mind had drifted to other things... like why he enjoyed working in the kitchen so much. It was strange, even comical, to pair a demon with cooking. He seemed to follow her train of thought and spoke before she even asked.

"It's out of habit, if you're wondering," he explained, "I used to be a butler. Well, _act_ as a butler."

"A butler?" Leah smirked, "I didn't know demons held such menial positions."

"It's more complicated than you may think," he said quietly. "As a demon, I am bound to my contract... and my master. I do everything in my power to fulfill his bidding. It just so happens that my last master appointed me as his butler."

"You did all his housework?" she asked.

"Yes, and much more."

"To what extent?"

He slowly turned to capture her eyes with his, "to the extent of killing for him."

An involuntary shiver ran down her spine at his words. Their eyes were locked, and as much as she wished she could not tear her gaze away. He was a murderer, she knew that, and yet she wanted to know more.

"And what reward do you get in return?"

The corners of his lips lifted in a sinister smile.

"A soul."

Leah gulped. Just her luck... she was working alongside a soul-sucking demon, literally.

* * *

**A/N:**

**For those of you wondering if this is an OCxSebby fic, I actually don't know yet. I'm not sure how I can inject romance appropriately into the story since it's mostly action and drama, but if there's enough interest, I might consider it and see how it goes. Regardless though, the main focus will not be romance.**

**Anywho, thanks for reading, and remember to review. I enjoy constructive criticism as well as creative ideas :)**

**ps. Who do you think Sebby is bringing Leah to meet? (Hint: it's a canon character.)**


	4. Rebirth

**Chapter 4**** – Rebirth**

* * *

"How much longer?"

Sebastian glanced over at the woman sitting opposite him. She was turned toward the window, elbow propped against the ledge with her chin resting in her palm. Her blond tresses framed a lithe face coated with lines of exhaustion.

"Another hour and a half," he quietly answered, still watching her unmoving form. She had been sitting in the same position for the past two hours, the only signs of movement arising from the involuntary jerks and jolts produced by the train.

He half expected Leah to say something, _anything_, to reduce the eerie silence between the two. While he did not exactly desire the company of a chatterbox, the polar opposite was not quite what he had in mind either. The air was strangely suffocating, even to him, a demon that did not even require oxygen. Furthermore, it did not help that this car of the train was essentially empty which exaggerated the extent of the silence.

Leah was not oblivious to the demon's gaze on her, and this was part of the reason why she refused to return the action. It wasn't just the fact that she felt like she was being studied every time he decided to look at her for extensive periods, but also because she knew if she made eye contact she would be reacquainted with his smirk and snarky sense of humour. Every question he asked made her feel tested, as if she were an experiment that offered him sick amusement... which was why when he disrupted the silence with the next question, she was determined to not budge.

"What are you thinking?"

She didn't need to look to know he was grinning.

"Nothing."

"Funny. I would have thought you were thinking about who I'm taking you to meet."

When she didn't comment, he continued. "Why are you ignoring me?

"I'm not ignoring you." There was the faintest degree of annoyance in her tone.

"Yes you are," he argued. "If you're mad because I dragged you out on a whim to visit an old friend of mine, I can hardly sympathize."

"Spontaneity isn't really my thing," she muttered.

"Well unfortunately, you'll have to get used to it if you want to survive," he challenged, straightening his black jacket.

Finally, she turned to face him. He was surprised to find her eyes emoted with stress and frustration.

"Look," said Leah, "in a single day, you've brought more chaos into my life than what this town has ever gone through. Is it too much for me to ask to try and grab hold of any remnants of order?"

Sebastian raised a slender brow, unfazed by her sudden ferocity. "If what you claim to be 'order' consists of going to work on time and continuing to meet up with your Jamie, you are clearly miscalculating the gravity of the situation. You need to reassess your priorities right now. It's not my job to keep you in check."

"Then what _is _your job?" she leaned forward, voice rising. "My bodyguard or something?"

"Hardly," he smirked. "Consider me your private investigator. I need you alive in order to figure out what's going on. The moment your existence is deemed insignificant, I could care less whether you live or die."

_Ouch, that was harsh._ It wasn't that Leah expected the demon to care about her or anything, but she also wasn't expecting him to be so brutally blunt about his intentions.

Sebastian must have noticed her take a hit, for his next words were spoken in a softer tone. "You have to understand, Leah, that the world out there is cruel." _If only she knew how cruel it was_. "We demons look out for nobody else but ourselves, because at the end of the day no one is looking out for us."

This wasn't what Leah wanted to hear, especially not at a time like this when her world was being turned upside down.

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked softly, unable to tear her eyes from his.

"Because," the demon sighed, "You need to be ready for change." He stared into her crystal eyes for a moment longer before turning to look out the window into the whirring darkness. "When entire hosts of armies –even members of your own species, seek to exterminate you, it changes your philosophy on life."

"And what is your philosophy?"

He turned back to her, wearing that grin again. "Life is simply a game –a game of survival."

Those words resonated with her. Maybe it was the way he spoke it, or the impact behind them... either way, she knew she wouldn't be forgetting them for awhile.

The next hour passed excruciatingly slowly. Leah returned to staring out the window and pondering the things Sebastian had told her, leaving him to uninterestedly examine various random objects around them. When the train finally arrived, both were anxious to get off and stretch their legs in the open.

Upon leaving the station, Leah was dismayed to see the lack of cars in the small town. It was almost midnight, and a quick wind was beginning to stir. Surely Sebastian did not plan for them to walk all the way to this person's residence, wherever he lived.

"Hmm, looks like I'll have to run," Sebastian noted. He proceeded to approach Leah, holding out his arms. "Okay, hold on," he said, startling her by reaching out to pick her up.

Alarmed by his sudden proximity, the woman jumped away, eyes wide in confusion. "Woah, wait a sec. What do you think you're doing?"

Sebastian's expression remained indifferent as he answered, "I'm picking you up."

"And why would you need to do that?" her stance was still cautious.

"If you haven't noticed, there's a lack of transportation and my friend's place is still a few miles away. I'm a fast runner and can arrive within minutes, but you won't be able to keep up." He practically spelled out the situation for her. "Therefore, carrying you is the fastest way. Now hurry up."

Leah appeared mortified. There was no way she was going to let him sling her around like a sack of potatoes. Not only would it be intrusive, but also incredibly humiliating.

"There has to be another way. I can try to keep up, I promise." She took another step back from him.

"Heh," he smirked, "don't be ridiculous. A human can't keep up with a demon." He closed the distance between them, but not before Leah jumped away again. It was beginning to look like a game of cat and mouse.

"Don't make me use force."

"And don't make me scream harassment."

"As if anyone will hear you..."

He was running out of patience. In a split second, he had advanced on Leah, picking her up with one arm under her knees and the other under her back.

"What the h-" she shrieked, suddenly finding herself too close to the demon for comfort. She threw her fists against his chest in a feeble attempt to be lowered. "Put me down!"

"Now now," came his calm yet stern response against her flailing limbs, "don't make this harder for the both of us."

Too late. Her palm connected with his cheek in a sharp slap, leaving her hand stinging. He, on the other hand, didn't even flinch, which made her that much angrier. The action did seem to annoy him though since his grip on her tightened painfully until she was crushed against his body, barely able to breathe let alone move.

"I'll ask you again," his voice was low and coarse, "to not make this harder than it has to be."

He waited for her agreement –which came in a quick nod, then softened his grip.

"Good girl," he said, flashing her a grin. "Now, hold on tight."

Leah rolled her eyes at his latter comment and slung her arms loosely around his neck, intending to maintain as much distance between them as possible. However, as soon as the demon began his inhuman sprint into the night, she could not help but hang on for dear life.

"Holy crap!" her scream was lost in the whining wind surrounding them. The world had turned into a blur of sky, trees and lights, dizzying to the degree of forcing her eyes shut. As she involuntarily gripped the demon's neck tighter, she became faintly aware of how regular his breathing was. Any ordinary person would be wheezing from running at this speed while carrying someone. Yet Sebastian was as collected as ever, barely breaking a sweat from this physically-demanding exertion.

The seconds rolled into minutes, and then the world had stopped moving. She opened her eyes, realizing that tears had formed from the intensity of the wind, and quickly wiped them away. Sebastian lowered her down gently, hands supporting her waist a moment longer to make sure she had recovered her senses after the dizzying experience.

"See?" he smiled, "I told you it would be faster."

"Yeah, whatever," Leah didn't enjoy admitting defeat. She swatted the demon's hands away and took a few steps to re-establish the distance between them.

The two now raised their attention to the small stone building in front of them. The establishment was not particularly impressive, just a small flat one-story structure. A pair of tall windows adorned the front, one on each side of the double set of oak doors. Despite the darkness and lack of streetlights, Leah could make out various objects on display through the window, ranging from hanging herbs to ceramic pots. The scene ushered an involuntary shiver as she was abruptly reminded of a scene in a horror movie where a woman was brought unsuspectingly to a strange house in a deserted part of town and slaughtered mercilessly by men in hooded cloaks. She chided herself silently for having such foolish ideas and creating more anxiety than necessary, yet like any inception of an idea, it only spread the more she tried not to think about it.

"Come."

Leah was brought back to her senses by the demon's movement at her side. He strode up to the door and knocked gently.

"Well that's just great. We came all the way here and nobody's there," remarked Leah, irritated when nobody answered.

Ignoring her, Sebastian disregarded the lack of response from the store and pushed open the unlocked door. He stepped in with Leah following closely behind.

An overwhelming odour hit her nose upon entering. It was a blend of ash, herbs, fragrances, and... preservation material? Then it dawned on her...

"Sebastian, why did you bring me to a funeral home?" she asked nervously. Yes, she had almost died the night before, but wasn't this a bit too drastic?

"Because the person we're meeting is a funeral director," he replied, throwing her a look as if it was obvious.

Leah ignored his expression and continued inspecting the room. "Great," she poked a half-open coffin leaning against the wall, frowning when a film of dust stuck to her finger, "a psychic funeral director is going to tell me my fortune."

"It may sound crazy at the moment, Leah," the demon turned to her with a serious face, "but you shouldn't underestimate him."

"Hmm, I'll decide once I hear it." She knocked on the cover of another cherry wood coffin with amusement, not noticing that there was a lack of hollow echoes produced from the knock...

Of course, being the observant one that he was, Sebastian was immediately able to detect it. A grin slowly spread across his lips as he spoke out in a loud voice, addressing some unknown entity.

"How long do you plan on hiding in there, Undertaker?"

Confused, Leah turned around to inquire, "Er... who are you tal—Whoa!"

Her moment of surprise was followed by a loud shriek –a reaction to the sudden placement of a bony white hand on her shoulder from behind. A figure then emerged silently from the upright coffin accompanied by a gurgling kind of low chuckle which prompted yet another scream to erupt from her vocal cords.

"Freaking hell!" In a split second, Leah had darted away from the coffin and toward Sebastian, who smirked as he watched the woman find safety behind him. From her position, she finally calmed down enough to inspect the person standing before them. He was dressed in a long black trench coat clasped along the front by a series of silver buckles. His hair –a fine grey, almost white, ran down to his waist. The front was styled as a messy fringe which covered his face partially; and except for a twinkle of light, the eyes were among the features to be hidden. It was an eccentric look, definitely not something that one would normally see in modern society.

"Ah, Sebastian!" his coarse, croaky voice called out, "What a fine specimen you've brought me today!"

"Yes, she's interesting, isn't she?" the demon agreed, glancing over his shoulder at Leah. "I was hoping you would be able to read her."

The grey-haired man cackled lightly, "That won't be a problem, but is her story worth the read?"

"I can't guarantee it will be, but I _can _assure you it's out of the ordinary," smirked Sebastian.

Leah didn't exactly know how to regard this conversation between the two men. It concerned her, and yet she didn't know what she should say about the situation. She realized sullenly that she had to rely on Sebastian to carry out their intentions with the funeral director. After all, he was the observer and her merely the study subject.

"Alright then," Undertaker approached Leah, a wide grin spread across his lips. The fact that his eyes remained hidden under his hair was slightly nerve-wrecking as she didn't know what kind of expression he held.

"Leah, is it?"

The woman nodded. A hush fell over the room as Undertaker studied her, occasionally producing a grunt or nod in response to whatever he "read" out of her.

"Interesting..." he mused after a long period of silence.

"Well?" Sebastian prodded, "What can you tell us?"

"You're right! It's quite extraordinary." The funeral director rubbed his palms together, obviously intrigued. "My dear," he addressed Leah, "do you know where you were born?"

She was taken aback by the seemingly random question, and yet she was surprised that she could find no answer. "I... I don't know."

"Don't know, or don't _remember,_ hmm?"

"Both, I suppose. Why?"

"Oh, just running on a hunch." The man's grin reappeared, giving her goosebumps. "So what _do_ you remember?"

She had anticipated the dreaded questions about her memory, or lack thereof. She supposed, though, that if this man could really give them more information about her, she should at least try her best in attempting these queries.

"Nothing beyond two years ago." Both men were listening to her intently now, so she continued. "The doctors said I got hit by a truck; it caused some sort of brain injury and gave me severe retrograde amnesia. That's why I don't remember anything prior to the accident."

"Heh!" Her inquirer produced a low chuckle, "It's starting to piece together!"

Leah glanced over at Sebastian, searching for some sign of response or reassurance from him, but the demon was completely transfixed in his own thoughts, brows furrowed in concentration.

"Wait right here!" The silver-haired man jumped around and scurried off, disappearing into a back room. A few moments later, he had returned with an old leather book and a lit candle.

Turning to a page near the middle, he pointed a long white finger toward the text, indicating for the other two to read it. Leah, who was behind Sebastian, noticed that he immediately tensed up after glancing at the page. Curious, she brought her eyes down to where Undertaker pointed.

Not long after, she looked up again with an arched brow. "Fallen angels?"

"Indeed!" Undertaker clapped his hands together, practically bouncing with excitement. "Angels who rebel against heaven endure the ultimate punishment of being cast down to Earth and living as a mortal human encased in sin. Quite tragic, don't you think?"

Sebastian smirked, "Living in sin and unable to repent. That's not so far off from a demon."

Leah ignored Sebastian's comment. Her mind was heavily occupied by what relevance this all had. "So, what does all of this have to do with me?"

"My my, child, I didn't think you were so dense," chided the funeral director. "It is my belief –no, it is my _knowledge _that you are a fallen angel."

There was a brief pause before Leah erupted.

"What? Are you kidding me? Please tell me you're kidding!" She suddenly turned toward the demon, "Sebastian, you're right. This guy is a complete lunatic!"

When he did not offer agreement with her, she had the unbearable feeling that he was actually contemplating the possibility.

"Sebastian? There's no way I'm a fallen angel, right?" Her voice had lowered to a menacing growl, quite representative of her current predatorial mannerisms at the moment. In fact, if she could, her nostrils would be breathing fire right now.

"And why not?" asked the demon in a serious manner.

"What do you mean, why not?" She threw her arms up in exasperation. "Wouldn't you have killed me already if I was an angel? I mean, demons and angels are natural enemies, aren't they?"

"Enemies perhaps, but not by nature. There is due reason."

"Still, wouldn't I have powers or something? And... and wings!" The desperacy in her voice was becoming evident as she tried to find more reasons to refute Undertaker's proposition.

"Your powers would have been lost when you fell," explained Undertaker. "Everything of an angel –abilities, memory, soul, is encompassed by what is known as 'grace'. During the fall, an angel's grace is ripped from the body, in result depleting the angelic body completely of its heavenly essence."

"I still don't believe it," the woman shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest in a resolute fashion. "There _has_ to be another possibility."

Sebastian, still standing calmly, now had a thoughtful look. The mention of souls had sparked his interest. "If a fallen angel loses the angelic soul, does it get replaced by a human soul?"

Leah tensed up at his question. She realized that he was enquiring specifically about the incident earlier that day when he mentioned her soul was human, yet incomplete. For some reason, she didn't want to know the answer as it would only lean their investigative evidence further toward Undertaker's conclusion. Heart and breath racing, she waited for the dreaded response.

"What an intelligent demon you are," the funeral director grinned, awkwardly petting Sebastian's head as if rewarding a pet. "Yes, a mortal soul fills the space previously occupied by the angelic soul. However, it does not fill the void all at once. Instead, the process takes years to complete. And if during that time, the grace is retrieved, all of the angel's memories and powers will also return."

"And what of the soul?" asked Sebastian. The demon was now completely engrossed in the subject.

"I wouldn't know," the funeral director shrugged. "History has no account of such an occurrence. But if I were to guess, the angelic soul would purify the human component."

"Interesting," the demon raised a finger to his lips thoughtfully, "an immortal being forever encased in a mortal vessel... what a strange coincidence."

Sebastian chuckled lightly then turned to face Leah, "Well? I don't suppose you'd accept the notion now?"

Leah glared at him. Her mental will was deteriorating and he knew it. There were increasingly fewer excuses for her to challenge the possibility of her being an angel. Yet, being the stubborn one that she was, she refused to show her resignation.

"I still don't believe it," she muttered in a hostile breath.

"Well, there is only one way of finding out for sure whether you are one." There was a twinkle from behind Undertaker's bangs. "You must determine if your grace exists."

"And how would we manage that?" asked Sebastian.

The funeral director pondered for a moment before saying, "I would imagine that the grace landed somewhere close to the angel. The impact from both would have created natural ruins of noticeable proportions, wouldn't you agree?"

"That's true," agreed the demon. "We will begin our search immediately."

While the two men discussed the issue further, Leah zoned out, entering a state of shock. She did not want to believe anything the crazy man said, but at the same time a tiny part of her mind told her it was all true. And what if it was? What was she supposed to do as an angel? Her life consisted of simple things, like waiting tables and hanging out with friends. She wasn't ready to accept the responsibility of a divine being.

"You know, this is quite exciting!" exclaimed Undertaker. "Something big must be approaching. There is movement in heaven, and hell will surely respond. I wonder what will happen..."

The funeral director chuckled again, using his sleeves to cover his animated expression. His emotions provided a contrasting foreground against his otherwise cryptic message.

"Well, thank you for your time, Undertaker," Sebastian bowed his head in appreciation. "Leah and I had better go now. She has work later today." He said the last part with a sneer directed toward the glowering woman.

"Yes, yes. Come visit again soon. I'll be interested to know the outcome."

The two visitors proceeded to exit the funeral house. Just as they crossed the threshold, the silver-haired man called out.

"Sebastian!"

"Mmm?"

"Aren't you going to offer me something?" he asked with a sly grin.

The demon sighed, looking both bored and annoyed, "Really? You still want _that_?"

"Hee hee! A guilty pleasure has never hurt anyone!"

"Fine." Sebastian turned to Leah. "Wait outside," he instructed before closing the door behind him.

The next few seconds were possibly the strangest Leah had ever experienced. There was a moment of pure silence followed by an explosion of high-pitched, maniacal cackling from within the building. Too stunned to breathe, she watched as the door opened once more to reveal Sebastian composed as ever, and the funeral director wearing the largest smile she'd ever seen. He wiped at a tear under his hair, apparently still recovering from whatever had just happened.

"You're one of a kind, Sebastian," he waved with a giggle. "You never cease to leave me unsatisfied."

The demon ignored Undertaker's last comment, and raised a hand when Leah was about to inquire. At this point, he was only interested in departing and planning out their next steps. In one swift movement, he lifted Leah into his arms, this time not even garnering an objection from her as she was already physically and emotionally drained. In a leap, they had sped off into the darkness.

The rest of the night, or rather, early morning, was a blur. Leah did not remember how long they waited at the train station for the next train, nor did she remember falling asleep against a stiff, yet surprisingly warm body, covered by a black jacket. She was only aware of the sensation of strong arms carrying her and tucking her under soft sheets as she finally drifted into a deep, dreamless slumber.

* * *

**A/N:**

**Thanks for the input on the OCxSebby pairing. For the moment, I think I'll just stick with mild teasing and Sebby being a devilish brute.**

**So what did you guys think of Undertaker? Since this is a modern day fic, I tried to depict how he would act and dress in a contemporary setting, while still having him retain his freaky personality, teehee.**

**Yay! The story's finally starting to pick up speed! Yep, there was quite a bit of content in this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. Please review! I'd love feedback.**


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